What to look out for ovarian cancer

by Herb Weisbaum

Ovarian Cancer is very serious, but luckily, it's also very rare. Here's the problem.

"Most of the women diagnosed with ovarian cancer are diagnosed at late state when prognosis is poor," said Robyn Andersen, a researcher at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. "If women have symptoms and seek care immediately, their chances of being treated well are pretty good."

Andersen says there are a lot of symptoms that happen sometimes and a few that seem to be common.

"They are bloating or increased abdominal size, abdominal pain or pelvic pain and difficulty eating or feeling full quickly," she said. "Some women with ovarian cancer also report changes in urinary frequency or urgency."

Of course, most women have some of these symptoms. Andersen says they're important if they started within the past year and happen more than 12 days a month or almost daily for a few weeks. In that case, you need to contact your doctor.